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The Missionary

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 19, 1888

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 14, No. 40.

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The Missionary.

SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE.

THE first meeting of the seventeenth annual session of the California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was held on the Oakland camp-ground at 9 A. M., September 21, 1888. The president, Elder J. N. Loughborough, in the chair.
Delegates to the number of 147 were present, from the following churches:—
Calistoga, Borrough Valley, Eureka, Fresno, Ferndale, Healdsburg, Lafayette, Los Angeles, Lemoore, Napa, Oakland, Petaluma, Reno, Selma, Sacramento, San Jose, St. Helena, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Vacaville, and Woodland.
The following churches failed to send delegates:—
Dow's Prairie, Duarte, Lakeport, Norwalk, Nevada City, San Pasqual, Santa Ana, St. Clair, and Virginia City.
The church at Grangeville, organized by Elder E. P. Daniels; San Diego, organized by Elder W. M. Healey; Arroyo Grande, organized by Elder R. S. Owen; and the Scandinavian church at Little River, organized by Elder J. F. Hansen, were admitted into the Conference.
On motion, the chair appointed the following committees:—
On Nomination—Wm. Saunders, H. P. Gray, Geo. H. Gibson.
On Resolutions—Elder A. T. Jones, Elder H. A. St. John, Elder J. H. Cook.
On Auditing—H. P. Gray, G. H. Gibson, N. N. Lunt, W. G. Buckner, B. F. Winkler, M. J. Church.
The Committee on Nomination submitted the following report, which was adopted and the nominees elected:—
"For President, Elder J. N. Loughborough; Conference Committee, Elder W. C. White, Elder N. C. McClure, Elder Wm. Healey, Elder J. H. Cook; Secretary, E. A. Chapman; Treasurer, Pacific Press Publishing Co."And your committee earnestly recommend that the President of this Conference be released from other duties and labors, so that his entire time can be devoted to the actual supervision of the ministerial and other work of the Conference, visiting the churches, and attending to the general wants of the cause, and the spread of the truth."
The following resolutions were presented by the committee and adopted:—
Resolved, That we render sincere thanks to the Lord for the mercies shown to us another year, and for the privilege of this annual conference and camp-meeting.
Resolved, That we look upon the efforts now being made for thorough instruction to secure greater efficiency in the officers of the churches as that which promises much good to the cause and people of God. We therefore recommend: (1) That the officers of the churches hold meetings frequently—once a month at least—for the purpose of consulting together in regard to their duties and the best methods of promoting the interest of the churches in which they officiate; (2) That the Conference Committee choose a corresponding secretary, whose principal duty shall be to correspond with the church officers in regard to this matter; (3) That we likewise recommend that the officers of the churches not only answer the communications of the corresponding secretary of the Conference, but that they do it promptly.
Resolved, That we urge upon our ministers and church elders to be more careful and thorough in the examination of candidates for baptism and church membership, particularly in regard to their Christian experience and spiritual condition.
Resolved, That we are sorry to learn that the regular quarterly meeting exercises are considerably neglected in many of the churches, and we urge the officers of every church to be more careful to carry into effect the standing rules of the denomination on this subject.
Resolved, That we are grateful to God for the fast-opening fields for our missionary operations in foreign countries, and that so many men and women from our own country are willing to devote their lives to the foreign work, and also that God is raising up native laborers to join these in the work.
Resolved, That we heartily adopt the recommendations of the General Conference on the subject of the support of foreign missions, and willingly pledge ourselves to carry into practice the recommendation to lay aside each week, as God has prospered us, means to be devoted to the work of our foreign missions.
Resolved, That we are thankful to God for the success that has attended the opening of a mission for the Scandinavian work in San Francisco.
WHEREAS, We have for many years been looking for an amendment to the national Constitution to open the way for national religious legislation; and,
WHEREAS, In the Blair amendment to the national Constitution, and the accompanying national Sunday bill, there are now pending the very things for which we have so long looked, as that which will surely make the image of the Papacy against whose work the Third Angel's Message pronounces its solemn warning; therefore,
Resolved, That these things should arouse every Seventh-day Adventist, and that they shall arouse us to such earnestness as never before—even such diligence and earnestness as the fearful importance of the Third Angel's Message demands.
Mr. H. L. Adams, an attorney who had carefully examined the Blair Sunday Bill, now before the Congressional Committee, offered the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted by the Conference.
Be it Resolved, That this Conference call the attention of the National Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists to the urgent necessity of sending a delegation to appear before the United States Senatorial Committee on Education and Labor, to use all reasonable efforts to secure the defeat of the following Senate bills, namely:—
A resolution, dated May 25, 1888, and entitled, "A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, respecting establishments of religion and free public schools," and further;
A resolution dated May 21, 1888, and entitled, "A bill to secure to the people the enjoyment of the first day of the week, commonly known as the Lord's day, as a day of rest, and to promote its observance as a day of religious worship;"
On the grounds that the said bills are opposed to the common interests of humanity, and the freedom of religious worship intended to be guaranteed to the citizens of this great republic by its founders and defenders, and that the adoption of said bills would mark a broad and distinct advancement toward the union of Church and State.
And be it further Resolved, That the Pacific Coast asks the appointment on said delegation of Elder A. T. Jones, as one whose diligent study of this question has made him fully competent to perform such work.
WHEREAS, Much precious time is spent at every session of the Conference in listening to and considering the items in detail of the financial and statistical portion of the reports of officers of the Conference, Tract and Missionary Society, and Sabbath-school Association; therefore, be it
Resolved, That we recommend that said officers have their respective reports completed and printed for distribution on the first day of each succeeding camp-meeting.
Resolved, That it is the sense of this annual conference that a minister should be regularly stationed in San Francisco.
WHEREAS, In the April meeting the educational interests of the Conference were considered, and the following recommendations were made,—
1. That the California Conference incorporate so that it may hold school and other property.
2. That the Conference Committee be the educational board for the Conference.
3. That the Conference elect an educational secretary, who shall have the superintendency of the educational work of the preparatory schools in the State, under the direction of the board.
4. That the courses of study adopted for these local schools shall be limited to the kindergarten, primary and grammar grades; therefore,
Resolved, That we as a Conference now indorse these recommendations and ask that they be carried into effect as soon as possible.
Resolved, That we recommend that church schools be established, as soon as it is possible properly to do it, in Oakland, Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
WHEREAS, The work of the Third Angel's Message is such as to demand the highest and best development of the faculties—religious, mental, and physical—of those who are engaged in it; and,
WHEREAS, The State cannot properly give religious instruction; therefore,
Resolved, That we owe to God a renewed expression of our gratitude, for his blessing in the establishment of Healdsburg College, and the superior educational advantages there placed within our reach.
Resolved, That we owe and that we will give to Healdsburg College our hearty support, financially and morally, and our best influence in all ways and at all times.
WHEREAS, We recognize the Rural Health Retreat as an institution of God's own planting, and that it has an important work to do in spreading a knowledge of the truth; therefore,
Resolved, That we esteem it the duty of all our Conference laborers to carry out to the best of their ability, and according to their best judgment, the resolutions adopted by the California Health and Temperance Association in relation to soliciting subscriptions to the capital stock of the Retreat, and to the Ten Thousand Dollar Fund for the treatment of the worthy poor.
A committee of nine, consisting of the following-named brethren, was appointed to consider the matter of incorporating:—
Elder S. N. Haskell, Elder W. C. White, Elder A. T. Jones, Wm. Saunders, M. J. Church, H. P. Gray, John Biter, V. B. Stevens, Ruel Stickney.
This committee, after due consideration, reported as follows:—
We recommend that the California Conference incorporate as a corporation for profit, and that it be called the Pacific Sabbatarian Association.
1. That its purpose be to receive, hold in trust, mortgage, or sell property, real or personal, for the use or benefit of the Seventh-day Adventist religious institutions on the Pacific Coast.
2. That its purpose be to receive, hold in trust, mortgage, or sell property, real or personal, for the benefit of the Seventh-day Adventist educational institutions on the Pacific Coast, and to receive bequests, legacies, and donations.
3. To give general assistance to Pacific Coast Conferences and societies.
4. That the principal place of business be Oakland, Cal.
5. That its term be fifty years.
6. That its number of directors be nine.
7. That its capital stock be $250,000, divided into 2,500 shares of $100 each. And that there be a limitation of stock sold to any one party.
On motion this report was adopted and the following-named persons elected to act as directors: Elder W. C. White, Elder J. N. Loughborough, Elder Wm. Healey, M. J. Church, Erastus Banta, Joseph Leininger, W. A. Pratt, Wm. Saunders, John Morrison.
The Committee on Nomination made the following additional report, which was adopted.
For committee of three to have charge of the charity funds of the Rural Health Retreat: Elder Sanford Rogers, Elder H. A. St. John, and W. N. Glenn.
For delegates to the General Conference: Elder S. N. Haskell, Elder W. C. White, Elder E. J. Waggoner, Elder A. T. Jones, C. H. Jones, and M. J. Church.
For Educational Secretary, Dr. E. J. Waggoner.
Credentials were granted to the following:—
J. N. Loughborough, W. C. White, Wm. Healey, E. J. Waggoner, R. S. Owen, N. C. McClure, Wm. Ings, E. R. Jones, J. H. Cook, G. K. Owen, A. W. Bartlett, H. A. St. John, E. A. Briggs, John Fulton, A. T. Jones, Sanford Rogers, and E. P. Daniels.
The following brethren received ministerial licenses:—
Geo. Hollister, L. A. Scott, Thos. Coolidge, Arthur Hickox, Frank Hope, Frank Lamb, S. Thurston, and Mrs. G. K. Owen.
Resolutions as follows were then offered and adopted:—
Resolved, That we recommend Dr. M. G. Kellogg to connect his interests with the Rural Health Retreat of St. Helena.
Resolved, That this Conference render a vote of thanks to the Oakland Evening Tribune, the Morning Times, and the Oakland Inquirer for the liberal and fair reports they have given us during this camp-meeting; and to Gerald L. Abell for his untiring labor in connection with the above reports.
Resolved, That this Conference express its appreciation of the act of Brother N. T. Burgess in providing the missionary ship for Elder Cadney, and that we pray the blessing of God to rest upon the labor of his missionaries, and give them a prosperous voyage.
On motion of W. C. White it was voted that this Conference issue a Year Book, to contain a report of the proceedings of our denominational societies, and such other facts as may be of interest to our people, the price to be 10 cents.
The church at Temperance having been disbanded was stricken from the roll of churches. The location and preparation of the next general camp-meeting, together with the appointment of the camp-meeting committee, was left in the hands of the Executive Committee of the Conference.
In all ten meetings were held during the session, the last one being at 6 A. M., October 2, 1888. A good degree of interest was manifested throughout, and the attendance at all the meetings was excellent.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, President. E. A. CHAPMAN, Secretary.